The Shelby County Commission approved a budget amendment for the county’s 2021-22 budget during the May 10 commission meeting.
The resolution stated that county and staff have identified opportunities for significant long-term capital improvements in the areas of water services, highway and investment opportunities in public spaces and park expansions for the residents of Shelby County.
The budget that was previously approved on Sept. 14, 2020 will have the following provisions:
Water services: Capital project funding from the water services fund balance reserves of $9,650,000 for the CR-280 water line replacement and upgrade and CR47/CR39 improvements in Chelsea.
Highway department: Capital project funding from Highway 112 fund balance reserves of $4,200,000 for the CR47/CR39 improvements, CR87 traffic improvements, traffic signal improvements at CR41 and Hugh Daniel Drive and CR24 bridge replacements.
General fund: public land and park improvements of $6,350,000 for expansion of public lands and park expansion.
Personnel: adding an additional employee (an assistant superintendent) to the water services department
The changes are $20,241,000 in expenditures and $20,254,492 in revenues from the previously adopted FY2021 budget which now stands at $129,636,975 for expenditures and $132,555,364 in revenue.
County Manager Chad Scroggins said that it is basically the same money but can instead pay for the projects with cash instead of borrowing money, and many of those will be reimbursed at a later time,” he said. “We are still projecting to add $2.9 million into the general fund balance reserves."
After having a week long COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Columbiana, the clinic has moved to the Chelsea Community Center. Appointments are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 13 and sign up is available at https://covid19.shelbyal.com.
Shelby County had a busy weekend with the Regions Tradition at Greystone Golf & Country Club and the XTERRA race at Oak Mountain State Park and said both events went off without a hitch.
During the flooding that took place on May 4, two bridges on the XTERRA course were washed away. Scroggins said that volunteers from BUMP (Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers), the county facilities crew and employees at Oak Mountain State Park went in the next day and had the bridges rebuilt by 2 p.m.
Water services manager Michael Cain addressed the commission regarding the 2020 Consumer Confidence Report.
The report showed that all drinking standards were met in 2020; out of 486 bacterial samples, there were zero positive samples for E.Coli and Total Coliform.
“The report is very positive,” Cain said. “There were no violations and our numbers are very good. We are working hard to put out quality products from the water treatment plant.”
Cain gave credit to the operators and field crews who he said do a phenomenal job and said he couldn’t ask for a better crew to do this work.
The commission also approved the following award bids:
Laundry detergent for use at the juvenile detention facility to Central Paper Company
Seed and fertilizer
A repair and maintenance shop at the Shelby County Airport to BNB Aircraft services
Application to Apply for the Emergency Solution Grant program. That will administer grant funds to Family Connection, SafeHouse and Shelby Emergency Assistance. These funds will be used to help prevent homelessness and to re-home homeless persons, to help meet operating goals, to provide essential services to sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons.
Compensation for members of the county board of Board of equalization and adjustment and providing the proration of expenses.
The next commission meeting will be held at the County Administration building in Columbiana on May 24 at 6 p.m.
